NY Attorney General Pushing for Cellphone Kill Switch

New York official pushes a 'kill switch' for cellphones

New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is pressing wireless carriers for information in his continued effort to require anti-theft measures to be installed in smartphones.

The Democrat says he'll send letters Wednesday to the nation's biggest wireless carriers regarding the industry's decision to prohibit Samsung from pre-loading a "kill switch" application. The device can be activated remotely after a smartphone is stolen and render the phone permanently inoperable.

Schneiderman wants to gather information to put more pressure on companies to install the kill switch app.

The issue is driven by violent robberies carried out by thieves targeting people with smartphones.